The Annual Meeting is this Sunday. Once again we will be on Zoom, and if you need help accessing Zoom, please contact the office. Should you prefer not to join us on Zoom, you can also pick up paper ballots from the office (or we will send them to you) as well as printed Annual Reports. We will also email out the Annual Report to the parish. It is my sincere hope that we will soon be able to meet more freely in person.
On that subject, the Vestry is meeting next Monday to talk about how we worship during this time of Omicron. Please reach out to me or to the Vestry with your thoughts and ideas, we are trying to offer a variety of ways to worship that keep people feeling safe, but that also work for people’s schedules. I have heard people ask if we can have a service in-person that is later than 8 a.m., and we will definitely make that a priority. However, if you have other thoughts or ideas, please get in touch!
The first weekend in February has all kinds of fun for St. Mary’s. On Saturday (February 5) we will be going snow shoeing (or hiking) at Oak Ridge Farm. All are welcome to join us at 1 p.m. On Sunday (February 6) we will be celebrating Candlemas with an Evensong at 5 p.m. Also called the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, this is the day that Simeon took Jesus in his arms and proclaimed him a “light to enlighten the nations.” On Candlemas, many Christians also bring their candles to their local church, where they are blessed and then used for the rest of the year; for Christians, these blessed candles serve as a symbol of Jesus Christ, who referred to himself as the Light of the World.
Finally, don’t forget that the Bishop will be joining us on February 13 for worship. I hope you will join us either in person, in the parking lot or online to hear Bishop Lee preach.
Prayers and Blessings,
Mother Pippa